Gustatory signals from the mouth travel to the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST) over the VIIth (anterior tongue and palate) and IXth (posterior tongue) cranial nerves and synapse in the central subdivision in an overlapping orotopic pattern. Oral somatosensory information likewise reaches rNST, preferentially terminating in the lateral subdivision. Two additional rNST subdivisions, the medial and ventral, receive only sparse primary afferent inputs. Ascending pathways arise primarily from the central subdivision; local reflex and intranuclear pathways originate from the other subdivisions. Thus, parallel processing is already evident at the first central nervous system (CNS) relay. Ascending rNST taste fibers connect to the pontine parabrachial nucleus (PBN), strongly terminating in the ventral lateral (VL) and medial subnuclei (M) of the waist region but also in the external lateral (EL) and medial (EM) subnuclei. PBN projections travel along two main routes. A "lemniscal" processing stream connects to the thalamic taste relay, the parvicellular division of the ventroposteromedial nucleus (VPMpc), which in turn projects to insular cortex. A second, "limbic" pathway synapses in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and substantia innominata (SI). The ventral tegmental area (VTA), a critical nucleus in the so-called reward circuit, also receives input from the gustatory PBN. Forebrain gustatory structures are interconnected and give rise to copious feedback pathways. Single-neuron recording and calcium imaging demonstrates that taste response profiles in both the peripheral nerves and CNS lemniscal structures are highly orderly. Arguably, a limited number of neuron "types" are defined by the qualitative class of compounds (sugars, sweeteners, amino acids, sodium salts, acids and non-sodium salts, "bitter") that elicit the largest response in a cell. In the periphery and NST, some findings suggest these classes correspond to distinct molecular phenotypes and functions, but evidence for a cortical chemotopic organization is highly controversial. CNS neuron types are complicated by convergence and lability as a function of homeostatic, cognitive, and experiential variables. Moreover, gustatory responses are dynamic, providing additional coding potential in the temporal domain. Interestingly, taste responses in the limbic pathway are particularly plastic and code for hedonics more obviously than quality. Studies in decerebrate rats reveal that the brainstem is sufficient to maintain appropriate oromotor and somatic responses, referred to as taste reactivity, to nutritive (sugars) and harmful (quinine) stimuli. However, forebrain processing is necessary for taste reactivity to be modulated by learning, at least with respect to taste aversion conditioning. Functional studies of the rodent cortex tell a complex story. Lesion studies in rats emphasize a considerable degree of residual function in animals lacking large regions of insular cortex despite demonstrating shifts in detection thresholds for certain, but not all, stimuli representing different taste qualities. They also have an impact on conditioned taste aversion. Investigations in mice employing optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations suggest that different regions of insular cortex are critical for discriminating certain qualities and that their connections to the amygdala underlie their hedonic impact. The continued use of sophisticated behavioral experiments coordinated with molecular methods for monitoring and manipulating activity in defined neural circuits should ultimately yield satisfying answers to long-standing debates about the fundamental operation of the gustatory system.


We study experimentally and numerically the dynamics of a recently found topological phase transition for discrete quadratic solitons with linearly coupled SH waves. We find that, although no stationary states are excited in the experimental situation, the generic feature of the phase transition of the SH is preserved. By utilizing simulations of the coupled mode equations we identify the complex processes leading to the phase transition involving spatial focusing and the generation of new frequency components. These distinct signatures of the dynamic phase transition are also demonstrated experimentally.


In this paper we present a new approach to model artificial institutions (AIs) that are situated in agent environments where heterogeneous agents reside. An AI is seen here as an entity that can evolve over time, whose rules, in terms of powers, permissions, and obligations, are perceivable as first-class entities by the agents belonging to the institution. We use a Multi-Agent Normative EnvironmenTs (MANET) meta-model for the specification of AIs that are situated in first-class agent environments. We present the concepts of MANET in a way that makes them re-usable in different application domains, and we extend our presentation with the study of AIs interdependences for the specification of the institutional part of a first-class environment. As a consequence, our framework presents institutions as first-class abstractions that can be inspected, manipulated and modified, created and destroyed by the agents populating the agent environment where the institution resides. We use an e-Energy marketplace scenario to illustrate the properties of our model.


Although unsupervised person re-identification (RE-ID) has drawn increasing research attentions due to its potential to address the scalability problem of supervised RE-ID models, it is very challenging to learn discriminative information in the absence of pairwise labels across disjoint camera views. To overcome this problem, we propose a deep model for the soft multilabel learning for unsupervised RE-ID. The idea is to learn a soft multilabel (real-valued label likelihood vector) for each unlabeled person by comparing the unlabeled person with a set of known reference persons from an auxiliary domain. We propose the soft multilabel-guided hard negative mining to learn a discriminative embedding for the unlabeled target domain by exploring the similarity consistency of the visual features and the soft multilabels of unlabeled target pairs. Since most target pairs are cross-view pairs, we develop the cross-view consistent soft multilabel learning to achieve the learning goal that the soft multilabels are consistently good across different camera views. To enable effecient soft multilabel learning, we introduce the reference agent learning to represent each reference person by a reference agent in a joint embedding. We evaluate our unified deep model on Market-1501 and DukeMTMC-reID. Our model outperforms the state-of-theart unsupervised RE-ID methods by clear margins. Code is available at https://github.com/KovenYu/MAR.


BACKGROUND
 A student mental health crisis is increasingly acknowledged and will only intensify with the COVID-19 crisis. Given accessibility of methods with demonstrated efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety (eg, mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) and limitations imposed by geographic obstructions and localized expertise, web-based alternatives have become vehicles for scaled-up delivery of benefits at modest cost. Mindfulness Virtual Community (MVC), a web-based program informed by CBT constructs and featuring online videos, discussion forums, and videoconferencing, was developed to target depression, anxiety, and experiences of excess stress among university students.

 OBJECTIVE
 The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an 8-week web-based mindfulness and CBT program in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (primary outcomes) and increasing mindfulness (secondary outcome) within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with undergraduate students at a large Canadian university.

 METHODS
 An RCT was designed to assess undergraduate students (n=160) who were randomly allocated to a web-based guided mindfulness–CBT condition (n=80) or to a waitlist control (WLC) condition (n=80). The 8-week intervention consisted of a web-based platform comprising (1) 12 video-based modules with psychoeducation on students' preidentified life challenges and applied mindfulness practice; (2) anonymous peer-to-peer discussion forums; and (3) anonymous, group-based, professionally guided 20-minute live videoconferences. The outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, and mindfulness) were measured via an online survey at baseline and at 8 weeks postintervention using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ-SF). Analyses employed generalized estimation equation methods with AR(1) covariance structures and were adjusted for possible covariates (gender, age, country of birth, ethnicity, English as first language, paid work, unpaid work, relationship status, physical exercise, self-rated health, and access to private mental health counseling).

 RESULTS
 Of the 159 students who provided T1 data, 32 were males and 125 were females with a mean age of 22.55 years. Participants in the MVC (n=79) and WLC (n=80) groups were similar in sociodemographic characteristics at T1 with the exception of gender and weekly hours of unpaid volunteer work. At postintervention follow-up, according to the adjusted comparisons, there were statistically significant between-group reductions in depression scores (β=–2.21, P=.01) and anxiety scores (β=–4.82, P=.006), and a significant increase in mindfulness scores (β=4.84, P=.02) compared with the WLC group. There were no statistically significant differences in perceived stress for MVC (β=.64, P=.48) compared with WLC.

 CONCLUSIONS
 With the MVC intervention, there were significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms but no significant effect on perceived stress. Online mindfulness interventions can be effective in addressing common mental health conditions among postsecondary populations on a large scale, simultaneously reducing the current burden on traditional counseling services.

 CLINICALTRIAL
 ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN12249616; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12249616


While complaints about typical edge operators are common, proposals articulating a notion of the "perfect" edge map are comparatively rare, hindering the improvement of contour enhancement techniques. To address this situation, we suggest that one objective of visual contour computation is the estimation of a clean sketch from a corrupted rendition, the latter modeling noisy and low contrast edge or line operator responses to an image. Our formal model of this clean sketch is the curve indicator random field (CIRF), whose role is to provide a basis for defining edge likelihood models by eliminating the parameter along each curve to create an image of curves. For curves modeled with stationary Markov processes, this ideal edge prior is non-Gaussian and its moment generating functional has a form closely related to the Feynman-Kac formula. This sketch model leads to a nonlinear, minimum mean squared error contour enhancement filter that requires the solution of two elliptic partial differential equations. The framework is also independent of the order of the contour model, allowing us to introduce a Markov process model for contour curvature. We analyze the distribution of such curves and show that its mode is the Euler spiral, a curve minimizing changes in curvature. Example computations using the contour enhancement filter with the curvature-based contour model are provided, highlighting how the filter is curvature-selective even when curvature is absent in the input.


This paper reports a descriptive study which explored how teacher beliefs influence their decision-making in teaching critical reading strategies at three different institutions in the Mekong Delta. Using a descriptive mixed method, questionnaires and interviews were undertaken with English as foreign language (EFL) teachers. The findings of this study indicate that these participating teachers believed critical reading strategy instruction plays an important role in enhancing their students' comprehension of reading texts. Findings also reveal that of the four factors influencing teachers' decision-making of utilizing these skills, student-related factors were found to be highest. This propensity for involving students in critical reading strategies gives rise to some pedagogical implications for teachers while designing appropriate tasks and lesson plans. Article visualizations:


The aim of this study is to simultaneously establish the processability and
physical properties of Lithium aluminosilicate-based (LAS) glass for dental
restorations. An eventual outcome is the production of glass-ceramic matching
both the aesthetics and mechanical properties of natural tooth. The two LASbased glass compositions, refer to as LAS1 glass and LAS2 glass, are
investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy
(ICP-OES), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD),
Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Vickers Hardness and threepoint bending flexural testing. ICP-OES analyses reveal LAS1 glass and LAS2
glass to be compositionally similar, however LAS2 glass contains traces of
vanadium. XRD analyses reveal the presence of Li3PO4 and Li2SiO3 crystals in
LAS1 glass, which apparently are not detected in LAS2 glass, however RS
analyses obviously show vestiges of these phases in LAS2 glass. DSC reveals
LAS1 glass and LAS2 glass to exhibit similar thermal behaviour. LAS1 glass
shows a glass transition temperature of ~500°C, two major thermal exothermic
events at 615°C and 705°C, which are followed by two minor thermal exothermic
events at 750°C and 790°C, and finally a major endothermic event at 910°C.
Based on In-situ XRD analyses carried out between 540°C to 790°C, the first
exothermic event centred at ~615°C can be associated with the successive
crystallisation of Li2SiO3, Li0.25Al0.25Si0.75O2 and LiAlSi4O10, whereas the second
peak centred at ~705°C can be associated with the crystallisation of LiAlSi2O6
and Li2Si2O5. Similar results are obtained for isothermal treatments of 30 minutes
in the temperature range of 610°C and 870°C, as shown by combined ex-situ by
XRD and RS analyses. The incorporation of a nucleation step of 300 minutes at
550°C, reduces the crystallisation temperature of LiAlSi4O10 and
Li0.25Al0.25Si0.75O2 by ~20°C, but also leads to increase of the crystallite sizes.
Following this initial evaluation of the impact of isothermal heat treatments, other
heat treatments are strategically carried out at temperatures below and above the
exothermic events in order to evaluate again their impact on both phase
assemblage and physical properties, such as hardness, elastic modulus, fracture
toughness and colour. Hence, based on the DSC data, nucleation is carried out
at a temperature of 550°C for 300 minutes, and crystallisations are carried out at
670°C, 780°C, 800°C, 830°C and 850°C, for different time lengths. XRD results
reveal LiAlSi2O6 to be the dominant crystalline phase, followed by Li2Si2O5 and
Li2SiO3 for both LAS1 glass and LAS2 glass. Both LAS1 and LAS2 glassceramics exhibit high values of mechanical properties when the heat treatment is
at 550°C for 300min,780°C for 120min and 830°C-850°C for 120 min. Moreover,
LAS1 glass and LAS2 glass heat treated above 770°C are both aesthetically
suitable for dental restorations. Regarding the LAS1 glass, the colour is white,
whereas LAS2 glass colour is identical to several standard shades including D2,
C1 and B2, depending on the heat treatment temperature


We assessed vision before and after uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation in 72 symptomatic patients with acuity equal to or better than 20/80 and no other ocular abnormality. Contrast sensitivity was measured with the Pelli-Robson Letter Chart (Metropia Ltd, Cambridge, England) and disability glare was measured under daytime conditions with the Brightness Acuity Tester (Mentor O&O Inc, Norwell, Mass) and under nighttime conditions with a computer-controlled video display. Prior to surgery there was significant disability glare that was not correlated with acuity. There was also a loss in contrast sensitivity that was moderately correlated with acuity (r = -.43; P < .001). Following surgery, most patients' scores returned to normal on all tests. Improvement in disability glare and contrast sensitivity was independent of improvement in acuity. Furthermore, patients with the poorest preoperative vision were as likely to regain normal function after surgery as those with the best preoperative vision.


Electromagnetic suspension system are commonly used in the field of high speed vhicles, tool machines, frictionless bearings and conveyor systems. This paper compares three different control strategies - i.e. the state control, the adaptive state control and the inverse problem method - on the basis of various criteria. The main novelty presented is the inverse problem strategy, largely used in the field of robotics, to linearize the transfer function between the airgap and its reference value. Also, an approach to the 3D electromagnetic suspension problem is outlined. The study is carried out in numerical simulation using the SIMULINK package. Experimental investigations on a test rig are in progress in order to valide the different strategies presented.


The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test – Second Edition (KBIT-2) is designed to measure verbal and nonverbal abilities in a wide range of individuals from 4 years 0 months to 90 years 11 months of age. This study examines both the advantages of using Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) in intelligence tests and the hierarchical order of the items in the KBIT-2: Turkish form by estimating the parameters of each of the three subtests by testing the dimensionality of the KBIT-2 subtests by using the Invariant Item Ordering (IIO) assumptions. 2850 people participated in the study, including children, adolescents, and adults. Participants' ages varied from 48 months (4 years 0 months) to 539 months (44 years 11 months). Automated Item Selection Procedure (AISP) was applied for the assessment of unidimensionality under three different lower bounds as 0.30, 0.40, and 0.55. The items of all three subtests formed a unidimensional scale. Backward Item Selection (BIS) procedure detected seven items in the Matrices and 17 items in the Verbal Knowledge, while six items in the Riddles subtest violated the IIO criteria. KBIT-2: Reliability values obtained using MSA analysis show that all three subtests have a high degree of internal consistency. However, care should be taken when IIO assumptions do not fit the intelligence scales in the original form.


In accordance with the IVSC standards, the statistical valuation methods or mass appraisal can be used in the real estate valuation as the basis of ad-valorem taxation of property. Also, the statistical valuation can be used to determine how to distribute the financial benefits to government or semi-government authorities. The fundamentals needed to successfully applying statistical methods in assessing real estate are a well-defined legal system, a sufficient large market to ensure database consistency, a proper amount of resources and personnel and a permanent updating of the inventory and databases to ensure the accuracy of valuations. Statistical methods selected with best chance of being successfully used in assessing real estate are the type of confidence intervals based on statistical tests (as Student or Helmert), linear or nonlinear multiple regression models and analytical models based on time series. The level of appraisal can be measured with the median, the mean or the weighted mean and the uniformity is measured with the range, the standard deviation, the dispersion coefficient or average absolute deviation. All those statistical tools was applied by authors on the real estate valuation in the city of Timisoara and the paper presents some examples of the best results obtained referring to residential apartments. The methods can also be applied with good results in valuating land for industrial or residential purposes. The database necessary to carry out the statistical research was made available by Darian Rom Suisse, one of the leaders on the valuation market in Romania. The period included in the analysis refers to the first ten months of 2008 with some predictions for 2009.


Abstract The solutions of the (nonlinear) Painlevé VI differential equation having icosahedral linear monodromy group will be classified up to equivalence under Okamoto's affine F 4 Weyl group action and many properties of the solutions will be given. There are 52 classes, the first ten of which correspond directly to the ten icosahedral entries on Schwarz's list of algebraic solutions of the hypergeometric equation. The next nine solutions are simple deformations of known PVI solutions (and have less than five branches) and five of the larger solutions are already known, due to work of Dubrovin and Mazzocco and Kitaev. Of the remaining 28 solutions we will find 20 explicitly using the method of [P. P. Boalch, From Klein to Painlevé via Fourier, Laplace and Jimbo, Proc. London Math. Soc. 90 (2005), no. 3, 167–208.] (via Jimbo's asymptotic formula). Amongst those constructed there is one solution that is "generic" in that its parameters lie on none of the affine F 4 hyperplanes, one that is equivalent to the Dubrovin-Mazzocco elliptic solution and three elliptic solutions that are related to the Valentiner three-dimensional complex reflection group, the largest having 24 branches.


Group A streptococcal strains of some serotypes can be cultured repeatedly from normal human skin for days or weeks and subsequently produce pyoderma, but strains of other serotypes that cause pharyngitis are rarely recovered from normal human skin or skin lesions. In an attempt to understand the biological differences between "skin" and "throat" strains of group A streptococci, we studied their susceptibility to two bactericidal agents operative at the skin surface--oleic acid and UV light. No consistent differences were found between skin and throat strains; all streptococcal strains were exquisitely sensitive to both oleic acid (10 microgram/ml) and UV light (60 microW/cm2).


The existence of many cyber-attacks targeted to online environment, make eLearning platforms security a major concern. To secure an eLearning platform there are three interconnected strategies: prevention (the actions taken before an attack), detection (the action taken during an attack) and response (the action taken after an attack). This paper focuses on detection, providing different strategies to detect if eLearning platform security was compromised: intrusion detection, malware detection and suspicious activities detection.
An attack tree is developed to simulate and to observe the impact of cyber-attacks on eLearning platforms. The attack tree lists and develops methods by which an attacker can cause a security incident on platforms. The attack tree is useful to explore certain attack paths in depth and to generate intrusion scenarios on a website. To conduct a cyber-attack to an eLearning platform, each edge to the internal node structure of the attack tree must be traversed. The internal nodes of the attack tree represent the seven stages of the intrusion model Kill Chain, which was defined by researchers from Lockheed Martin. This model consists of seven stages: reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control and action on objectives. The external edges of the tree that connect the leaf nodes, represent optional attack vectors. The results from the simulation attacks are used to presents the management of eLearning platforms security against cyber-attacks. An eLearning platform security is affected when the integrity or availability of the platform's files are compromised or additional malicious activity has been detected; for example malware infections, redirections to malicious websites or other suspicious activities like phishing or spamming. While there are no solutions to guarantee the security of eLearning platforms, this paper describes the attack vectors and presents various solutions to detect indicators of compromise.


For a panel of 20 industrialized countries from 1970 through 2002,we analyze the role of financial variables in economic cycles. We focus on equity busts, which are considered a proxy for downward revisions of economic prospects. Our empirical findings provide support for financial accelerator effects around asset price busts. The financial accelerator mechanism appears to have become stronger over time. The typical bust is followed by a reduction in nominal policy interest rates, sometimes to levels close to the zero lower bound.


Homogeneous instance segmentation aims to identify each instance in an image where all interested instances belong to the same category, such as plant leaves and microscopic cells. Recently, proposal-free methods, which straightforwardly generate instance-aware information to group pixels into different instances, have received increasing attention due to their efficient pipeline. However, they often fail to distinguish adjacent instances due to similar appearances, dense distribution and ambiguous boundaries of instances in homogeneous images. In this paper, we propose a pixel-embedded affinity modeling method for homogeneous instance segmentation, which is able to preserve the semantic information of instances and improve the distinguishability of adjacent instances. Instead of predicting affinity directly, we propose a self-correlation module to explicitly model the pairwise relationships between pixels, by estimating the similarity between embeddings generated from the input image through CNNs. Based on the self-correlation module, we further design a cross-correlation module to maintain the semantic consistency between instances. Specifically, we map the transformed input images with different views and appearances into the same embedding space, and then mutually estimate the pairwise relationships of embeddings generated from the original input and its transformed variants. In addition, to integrate the global instance information, we introduce an embedding pyramid module to model affinity on different scales. Extensive experiments demonstrate the versatile and superior performance of our method on three representative datasets. Code and models are available at https://github.com/weih527/Pixel-Embedded-Affinity.


The purpose of the case study is to investigate whether a combined Lean Six Sigma philosophy can help to improve collaboration to get more integrated supply chains. The method used was Literature review, multiple case study, face-to-face interviews and observations on-site in seven large swedish companies.  It has been indicated that by implementing Lean Six Sigma Philosophy companies could improve business environment and improve collaboration to get integrated supply chains. The paper provides guidance to organizations regarding the applicability and properties of quality philosophies and concepts in logistics.


This paper summarises the findings from a literature review in mobile learning, developed as part of a 2-year six-institution project in New Zealand. Through the development of a key themes codebook, we address selected key themes with respect to their relevance to learner-generated learning through emerging technologies, with attention to mobile augmented reality and mobile virtual reality. We see that these two current mobile learning affordances, complemented though relevant approaches to research and practice in mobile learning such as design-based research and connected social learning, are critical to reconceptualise learning through mobile devices. We conclude that mobile learning still requires the theories, methodologies, and practices of its own as a field. We also see a need for mobile learning to be conceptualised around ever-changing learning affordances and educational settings, rather than focusing on static structures such as content-delivery approaches, while embedding it within the scholarship of technology enhanced learning.


We have studied the electrical transport properties of individual single-crystalline IrO2 nanorods prepared by the metal–organic chemical vapour deposition method. With the help of the standard electron-beam lithographic technique, individual nanorods are contacted by Cr/Au submicron electrodes from above. Utilizing two-probe, three-probe and four-probe measurement configurations, not only the intrinsic electrical transport properties of the individual nanorods but also the electronic contact resistances, Rc(T), have been determined from 300 K down to liquid-helium temperatures. Our measured resistivity behaviour of the nanorods is in close agreement with the current theoretical understanding of this rutile material. On the other hand, we found that the temperature behaviour of the electronic contact resistance obeys the law over an extremely wide temperature range, from approximately 100 K down to liquid-helium temperatures. This latter conduction process is ascribed to the hopping of electrons through nanoscale Cr granules and/or an amorphous coating incidentally formed at the interface between the submicron Cr/Au electrode and the nanorod.


Time-velocity waveforms or sonograms obtained by pulsed Doppler ultrasound from the umbilical artery were analysed in a longitudinal study of 15 normal pregnancies. The sonograms from nine fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation were compared qualitatively and had quite different characteristics implying a high distal impedance to blood flow. Methods of analysis capable of differentiating between the normal and abnormal sonograms are described and discussed.


Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic and idiopathic inflammatory disease. The association between lichen planus and hepatitis or various autoimmune diseases has been reported, but nationwide studies of the relationship of lichen planus with associated diseases have demonstrated contradicting results. Objectives: Our study aims to investigate the correlation between lichen planus and associated diseases. Material and method: Our study was performed on 84 patients diagnosed with lichen planus. Data were obtained from the 'Sf. Spiridon' Clinic of Dermatology, Iasi, Romania from 2015 to 2017. The study of etiological circumstances was based on anamnesis, general physical examination, clinical form of disease and interpretation of paraclinical results. The positive diagnosis was based on clinical appearance, subjective symptoms and histopathological results. Results: Lichen planus had an incidence of 2% among dermatological conditions. The sex distribution revealed a female predominance (60,7%). The median age was around 60 years. The prevalence of liver damage in patients with LP was 22,61%, from which 73,68% had chronic viral infection. Among patients with LP, there were significant associations with autoimmune thyroiditis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis and alopecia areata. On gender-stratified analyses, the association with autoimmune diseases was significant only in female patients (94,11%). Most cases with LP and autoimmune diseases have also associated hepatitis C. In terms of correlation between clinical forms and etiology, eruptive LP was commonly associated with metabolic disorders, while localised LP was more frequently associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Conclusions: Lichen planus is associated with various seemingly unrelated diseases. Physicians who care for patients with lichen planus should consider screening patients with lichen planus for autoimmune, metabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders. Regarding the etiology of lichen planus, our study supports the immunological hypothesis.


The focus of this Article is the effect that globalization has had on social inequalities within large corporate professional firms, in both the United Kingdom and the United States. While globalization is an imprecise term, there is general agreement about its destructive impact on traditional society. Some see this as producing a range of negative effects (such as psycho-social fragmentation and insecure employment). Others, however, have viewed it as opening up the possibility for individuals to create their own biography. This is due in part to globalization's "capitalization of everything" which, in the case of the legal profession, has transformed the large law firm from a relatively parochial organization, in which personal relations remained highly significant, into a multinational organization governed by Human Resource Management (HRM), commonly employing Diversity Management (DM) techniques and dominated by discourses of entrepreneurialism. These developments could be expected to have resulted in significant progress toward a more socially representative profession. Yet statistical surveys and qualitative research suggest that gender, race, and class remain strongly determinant of career progress in both the U.S. and U.K. legal professions, including in the globalized corporate sector. This Article considers some of the theoretical models which might explain the persistent salience of social categories for legal careers. It then draws on these models in a discussion of recent qualitative research conducted for the U.K. Legal Services Board (LSB).


This paper presents an application for the detection of colour, shape and size of various objects at real time. This design of system is accomplished using a raspberry pi as a system of on chip, along with a USB camera, display unit and mechanism such as conveyor belt use for the transport of object in the industrial enviroment . In order to determine the colour of the object placed over a moving conveyor belt. OpenCV is used at real time. The main purpose of design of this particular system is to identify the colour, shape and size as well as the number of object moving with the help of conveyor belt. So at the real time data will be updated and continuously displayed over the display unit. If camera does not provide any image on screen for a particular duration (defined in OpenCV) then the system would be shutdowned.


Although Malaysia has a relatively long history of clinical research, its participation in international drug research is very recent. With the increasing widespread implementation of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) worldwide, there is mounting pressure for Malaysia to adopt GCP as part of its regulation of clinical trials. There will, however, be challenges in implementing GCP guidelines in Malaysia. The training of investigators, the proper functioning of research ethics committees, the practice of obtaining written informed consent, source data verification, and quality control with internal audit and official inspection are among some of the more difficult issues. Nevertheless, the obvious benefit of GCP is acknowledged not only by Malaysia's Drug Control Agency but also by the research community of Malaysia. With the increasing active participation of Malaysia in international drug research, the implementation of GCP warrants urgent attention.


measurement of body composition provides advantages in growth studies compared to conventional techniques. The same individual can be measured several times, the measurement is faster, and the number of pigs required as well as the random effect of animal are reduced. The aim of the present study was to determine the composition of the half carcass and of the ham/shank region by a whole body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan of the live pig using a Norland XR-26. Accuracy and precision of DXA measurement were evaluated by regression analysis between DXA-derived values and chemical analysis as well as dissection. Pigs of different gender were used covering a wide range of body weights and body composition. Single regression analysis for lean and fat mass revealed a close relationship between half carcass DXA and chemical analysis (R² = 0.97 and R² = 0.91, respectively) as well as dissection (R² = 0.99 and R² = 0.98, respectively). The prediction accuracy (R²) was lower for the tissue percentages than for the respective tissue masses. The relationship between live pig DXA and reference methods was close for dissected lean meat (R² = 0.90) and adipose tissue mass (R² = 0.93). For chemical lean and fat mass, R² were slightly lower. Multiple regression analysis using one to four independent variables improved accuracy of prediction. The composition of ham and shank could be predicted more accurately than the half carcass composition.


Subjects' survival, is a crucial outcome during long-term oxygen treatment (LTOT). Methods : the survival of a cohort of 886 patients suffering from very severe chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) and admitted to long-term oxygen treatment (LTOT) at home was investigated over the last ten years. Subjects were divided in two groups well matched for age, sex, lung function and daily oxygen use: group A, patients managed according to an usual protocol for home assistance, and group B, patients admitted to a telemetric daily monitoring. Statistics : Wilcoxon's test was used in order to compare the survival and acute episodes of relapse, and p<0.05 was accepted. Results : mean survival had a significantly longer duration (2.5 fold) in subjects telemetrically controlled at home (1239.6 days ± 382.1 vs sd 482.6 days ± 273.9 sd, p<0.01). Moreover, episodes of heart failure and of lower airway infections had a lower incidence in these subjects (17.3 vs 33.0%, and 11.3 vs 21.1% respectively, both p<0.01). When standardization for age, lung function, smoking habit, and comorbidities, females still showed a significantly longer survival when managed according to the telemetric protocol of home LTOT (1166.4 days ± 556 sd vs 1433 .7 days ± 656.3 sd, p <0.01). Conclusions : the telemetric management of home LTOT proves more effective than standard care in terms of patients' overall survival. Even if further studies are needed, a different females' psychological approach to this particular model of management and their better acceptance of procedures might presumably contribute to explain the difference observed in the main outcome.


We report that synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) can be efficiently switched by spin-orbit torques (SOTs) and the switching scheme does not obey the usual SOT switching rule. We show that both the positive and negative spin Hall angle (SHA)-like switching can be observed in Pt/SAF structures with only positive SHA, depending on the strength of applied in-plane fields. A new switching mechanism directly arising from the asymmetric domain expansion is proposed to explain the anomalous switching behaviors. Contrary to the macrospin-based switching model that the SOT switching direction is determined by the sign of SHA, the new switching mechanism suggests that the SOT switching direction is dominated by the field-modulated domain wall motion and can be reversed even with the same sign of SHA. The new switching mechanism is further confirmed by the domain wall motion measurements. The anomalous switching behaviors provide important insights for understanding SOT switching mechanisms and also offer novel features for applications.


Staff-ball technique is a method used to measure the horizontal cover of vegetation in an area. For the occupancy study of two threatened avian species, a modified version of this method has been developed, employed and standardized in the field, to collect data that has been used as proxy for visibility of these species through the undergrowth in plantations within Western Ghats, India. This modified cost-effective technique is very useful in areas which are highly vegetated with undulating terrain, as opposed to its original use in grasslands. Two staffs and a ball are the main equipment used, wherein a central staff with ball is placed within vegetation and viewed using a peripheral staff at a fixed height from different points in an imaginary circle. A weakness of this technique is the difficulty in alignment with the central staff-ball, which may be rectified by the use of a laser rangefinder.


This article introduces a new measure of linguistic complexity which is based on the dual nature of the linguistic sign. Complexity is analyzed as consisting of three components, namely the conceptual complexity (complexity of the signified), the formal complexity (complexity of the signifier) and the form-meaning correspondence complexity. I describe a way of plotting the form-meaning relationship on a graph with two tiers (the form tier and the meaning tier) and apply a complexity measure from graph theory (average vertex degree) to assess the complexity of such graphs. The proposed method is illustrated by estimating the complexity of full noun phrases (determiner + adjective + noun) in English, Swedish, and German. I also mention the limitations and the problems which might arise when using this method.


When does Neolithic life begin in Britain? The author gathered up the current evidence for radiocarbon-dated first use of cereals, distinguishing between dates from charcoal in contexts with cereals, and dates from the charred grains themselves. The charred grains begin to appear around 4000 cal BC and become prominent in settlements between 3800 and 3000 cal BC. This correlates well with the appearance of megalithic tombs (3800-3500 cal BC) and argues for a relatively rapid adoption of the Neolithic package during an experimental phase of two centuries, 4000-3800 cal BC. The early cereals reported in the pollen record (from 5000 BC) are attributed to wild species.


We study the problem of high-dimensional regression when there may be interacting variables. Approaches using sparsity-inducing penalty functions such as the Lasso can be useful for producing interpretable models. However, when the number variables runs into the thousands, and so even two-way interactions number in the millions, these methods may become computationally infeasible. Typically variable screening based on model fits using only main effects must be performed first. One problem with screening is that important variables may be missed if they are only useful for prediction when certain interaction terms are also present in the model.

To tackle this issue, we introduce a new method we call Backtracking. It can be incorporated into many existing high-dimensional methods based on penalty functions, and works by building increasing sets of candidate interactions iteratively. Models fitted on the main effects and interactions selected early on in this process guide the selection of future interactions. By also making use of previous fits for computation, as well as performing calculations is parallel, the overall run-time of the algorithm can be greatly reduced.

The effectiveness of our method when applied to regression and classification problems is demonstrated on simulated and real data sets. In the case of using Backtracking with the Lasso, we also give some theoretical support for our procedure.


Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race. By Joe Soss, Richard C. Fording, and Sanford F. Schram. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. 368p. $75.00 cloth, $25.00 paper. It is more than 15 years since the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act was passed in 1996, famously described by then-President Bill Clinton as "the end of welfare as we know it." In Disciplining the Poor, Joe Soss, Richard Fording, and Sanford Schram analyze recent changes in US welfare policy as reflections of broader transformations of the "governance" of poverty, arguing that these transformations represent a new form of "neoliberal paternalism" in which race continues to be an important element. In this symposium, a diverse group of political scientists working on welfare issues have been asked to critically assess the book's account and to comment more broadly on the importance of the "governance of poverty" to the future of American politics.—Jeffrey C. Isaac, Editor


Abstract In this paper, we study various ways of representing and querying fact data that are time-stamped with a time period in a data warehouse. The main focus is on how to represent the time periods that are associated with the facts in order to support convenient and efficient aggregations over time. We propose three distinct logical models that represent time periods as sets of all time points in a period (instant model), as pairs of start and end time points of a period (period model), and as atomic units that are explicitly stored in a new period dimension (period∗ model). The period dimension is enriched with information about the days of each period, thereby combining the former two models. We use four different classes of aggregation queries to analyze query formulation, query execution, and query performance over the three models. An extensive empirical evaluation on synthetic and real-world datasets and the analysis of the query execution plans reveal that the period model is the best choice in terms of runtime and space for all four query classes.


A key challenge in point-of-care diagnostics is the miniaturization and integration of assay processes in lab-on-chip devices. Assay processes based on magnetic particles are particularly suited for miniaturization and integration, because the particles can be actively controlled using external magnetic fields [1,2]. The sensitivity and specificity of the assays crucially depend on the interaction of the particles with surfaces, interfaces and biological materials. Therefore we are investigating particle-based methodologies to characterize interactions of protein-coated particles with surfaces [3], protein-ligand systems [4] and cells [5]. Here, we extend the magnetic particle based toolbox to the characterization of interaction between particles and fluid-fluid interfaces, providing a novel tool for colloidal science studies [6]. In our experiments we use a magnetic tweezers setup with five electromagnets. Magnetic particles are first suspended in an aqueous phase and then trapped at a fluid-fluid interface. In a rotation experiment, a well controlled mechanical torque is applied to the trapped particles, using in-plane and out-of-plane rotating magnetic fields. The resulting particle rotation is tracked using optical imaging with fluorescent tags. In-plane rotation gives information about the in-plane mobility of the particles in the interface, thereby probing the local micro-rheology. Out-of-plane rotation induces an asymmetric deformation of the interface (capillary dipole) due to contact line pinning. By reconstructing the angular displacement and comparison with numerical simulations we are able to quantify the interface deformation. As a next step we will record data of contact line pinning and contact line friction forces on the microparticle surfaces. This novel technique represents a versatile tool to quantify and unravel the interactions of particles with fluid-fluid interfaces, with relevance for colloid science, active rheology, mesoscopic flow phenomena, and particle-based biosensing. References [1] D.M. Bruls, et.al., Lab Chip 9, 3504, (2009). [2] R.C. den Dulk, et.al., Lab Chip 13, 106, (2013). [3] M. Kemper, et.al., Langmuir 28, 8149, (2012). [4] A. Jacob, et.al., Anal Chem 84, 9287, (2012). [5] M. Irmscher, et.al., J. R. Soc. Interface 10, 1048, (2013). [6] V.Garbin, et.al., J. Colloid and Interface Science 387, 1, (2012).


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of liposome induced gene transfection on the phenotypic characteristics and immune function of human immature dedritic cells (imDC).

METHODS
Monocytes were isolated from human cord blood, and they were differentiated into imDC by rhGM-CSF and rhIL-4 induction. Then the morphologic observation and immune phenotypic identification were performed in im-DCs. imDCs were divided into transfection (T, with liposome transfection of pEGFP vector) and control (C, without transfection) groups. The transfection rate and expression of cell maturation marker (CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR) were determined with flow cytometry, and the proliferation of non-sensitized T lymphocyte before and after transfection was determined with allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR).

RESULTS
im-DC derived from human cord blood cells had typical appearance and surface markers consistent to what reported in the literature. The expression rates of CD86, CD83 and LA-DR in T group were (12 +/- 6) %, (8.6 +/- 2.3) % and (71 +/- 7) %, respectively, which exhibited no difference compared with those in C group (13 +/- 6) %, (9.1 +/- 3.8) % and (72 +/- 8) %, (P > 0.05). MLR results indicated that there was no obvious change in the immune stimulation function of imDC after transfection (P > 0.05) , with stimulation index lower than 2.

CONCLUSION
There is no change in maturation of imDC after liposome transfection, but the transfection efficiency needs to be elevated.


The present article reports the densities of planktonic sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus) in three Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) localities, and the relationship between the abundance of adult sea lice on the salmon and the densities of planktonic sea lice stages, during a complete production cycle followed by a fallowing period. Samples were taken downstream inside and immediately outside of cages, at one locality with lice skirts and two localities without lice skirts. There were no differences in densities of planktonic sea lice in samples taken from the inside or the outside of cages for any of the localities. However, the proportion-non-zero of planktonic sea lice samples taken from inside the cage was higher during months with a temperature above 9°C (mean abundance: 0.40–2.5 individuals m–3) than months with temperature below 9°C (mean abundance: 0.02–0.21 individuals m–3, odds ratio of the proportion-non-zero: p < 0.01). Densities of planktonic sea lice correlated most strongly with temperature in the first year (τ = 0.44–0.57, p < 0.05). A significant correlation between the number of adult female lice on salmon and average density of plankton sea lice was found in the locality with lice skirts during the second year (τ = 0.43 inside cages, τ = 0.58 outside cages, both p values < 0.05). Background levels of planktonic sea lice in the succeeding fallowing period showed neither L. salmonis nor C. elongatus planktonic sea lice, suggesting that there was successful reduction of the densities of planktonic sea lice for this area during the fallowing period.


Can information technology spark socioeconomic progress in a poor and developing country? With its recently approved national IT plan, Vietnam is hoping the answer is yes. One of the first challenges for IT vendors is to provide systematic and integrated solutions for processing the unique national language, whose writing system is based on the Latin script. Solving this problem through localized systems and software will effectively expand the customer base, which is now restricted to those who are comfortable with English or French. Just like other countries at a similar stage of development and with analogous language requirements in a rapidly advancing information age, Vietnam needs an effective national standards framework.


BACKGROUND
Breakthrough pain (BTP) is a transitory flare of pain superimposed on an otherwise stable pain pattern in patients treated with opioids. It is normally severe in intensity, has a rapid onset, has a variable duration (on average 30 min) and is considered a negative prognostic factor.

OBJECTIVE
To verify the data in the literature about therapy strategies for BTP in cancer patients.

METHODS
To find clinical trials investigating drug therapy for BTP.

CONCLUSION
The treatment of BTP in cancer patients receiving opioids is principally based on the use of opioids, preferentially with a short onset. Fentanyl delivered by recently developed systems seems to be the best option to cover the temporal pattern of BTP, although the treatment should be highly personalized to provide the best in individuals, balancing patients' preferences and clinical needs. The doses to be administered is still a matter of controversy in the literature; additional studies with specific designs should be conducted to settle the question.


A complete methodology has been presented and implemented that enables the independent determination of the five mechanical parameters required to describe the elastic behavior of a transverse isotropic rock. The uniqueness of the methodology is that only one specimen is required. A single hollow specimen is subjected to a series of specific stress conditions. From each stress condition a different parameter or parameters may be determined. The most important advantage of the methodology is that the difficulty of material variability between specimens is to a large extent eliminated. Testing of multiple specimens allows for a better formulation of the nature of the material isotropy and the variability in material parameters. Results of the methodology compare favorably to other more conventional frameworks such as uniaxial testing and Brazilian compression. The bulk of the testing was carried out on a natural anisotropic banded sandstone; however, a set of control specimens of sand concrete were tested in order to consider the credibility of the methodology. The methodology has been implemented to consider possible differences in the response of both materials to compressive and tensile stress regimes. Over the range of stresses considered, the differences between the compressive and tensile stiffnesses are surprisingly small.


This paper describes our work on building a trilingual parallel treebank. We have annotated constituent structure trees from three text genres (a philosophy novel, economy reports and a technical user manual). Our parallel treebank includes word and phrase alignments. The alignment information was manually checked using a graphical tool that allows the annotator to view a pair of trees from parallel sentences. This tool comes with a powerful search facility which supersedes the expressivity of previous popular treebank query engines.


Introduction Societies today are very complex. Effective and successful implementation of care policies is needed. The concept of stakeholder approach is about creating tools and instruments to organise the communication between all parties involved. Aim EASPD organised in 2006 the conference 'ageing and disability—disabled people are ageing, ageing people are getting disabled' in Austria. For the first time organisations from the care sector for ageing people and from the disability sector were working together to discuss their concepts and their experience and to develop strategies. In this conference main results of this cooperation will be analysed. Results The care sector for elderly people in many countries is now facing the same problems as the disability sector 20 years ago: services are mainly medical oriented, the main solutions are care homes, services are social not right driven, the choice for individuals is very limited, … . We will come up with some suggestions to bridge the gap between the disability sector and the care sector in order to equalise the opportunities for elderly people with care needs.


This paper provides a consolidated and categorized bibliography of scientific articles published in 2015 that discuss the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands or individual Ramsar Sites. The articles are separated into two main categories: (a) articles that discuss the Ramsar Convention or its implementation generally, and (b) articles about wetland sites that are on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Articles in the latter category are further separated into subcategories by region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania). Each entry summarizes the article's Ramsar connection. This bibliography is intended to facilitate research and provide timely, relevant article updates to the members of the Ramsar community.


Abstract Climate change will have pervasive effects on the world's coasts, but at broad scales these changes have typically proven difficult to analyse in a systematic manner. This paper explores an outcome-driven deductive methodology for geomorphological analysis that recognises the nonlinearity of coastal morphology and organises current knowledge and understanding using fuzzy logic concepts. Building on recent large-scale coastal investigations and with reference to a case study of the East Anglian coast, U.K., the methodology defines the active coastal system using a flexible generic classification and integrates expert opinion, using the notion of possibility, as a basis for the assessment of potential future geomorphological response to changes in sea level and sediment supply. Preliminary results for the East Anglian coast suggest that the constraining of the active coastal system by sea defences is already having, and will continue to be, a significant influence on coastal evolution irrespective of the rate of sea-level rise. Therefore, significant potential exists to guide future coastal evolution toward preferred outcomes by using this approach as a component of adaptive shoreline management. This methodology could be applied to a wide range of problems both in geomorphology and other subjects.


The article is a review of work recently carried out on blood capillaries by the author in collaboration with Drs. M. G. Farquhar, G. Majno, and S. L. Wissig. It reviews the morphology of these vessels at the electron-microscope level and confirms the existence of at least 3 distinct types of blood capillaries in small laboratory mammals. It shows that the capillary wall consists of 3 concentric layers (endothelium, basement membrane, and adventitia), and indicates that the basement membrane forms a continuous layer in all capillaries so far studied. Experiments in which colloidal gold particles were used as a tracer have shown that, in capillaries with a continuous endothelium (muscle capillaries), the particles are transported across it by "pinocytic" vesicles. At the end of this step they must still transverse the basement membrane. Experiments on glomerular capillaries, which typically have a discontinuous s endothelium, were carried out on normal and nephrotic rats using ferritin as a tracer. By its accumulation on the luminal side of the basement membrane, the ferritin has identified this layer as the main filtration barrier. A similar function of the basement membrane was demonstrated in muscle venules and venous capillaries by experiments in which the endothelium was rendered discontinuous by local treatment with histamine and serotonin.


This is a performative engagement with the theory and practice of Black girlhood. I begin with an excerpt from my play-in-process, crushed little stars, which is itself a meditation on the sad Black girl. I share this process of play not only to present play making as a powerful epistemological tool, but also to blur the boundaries between what constitutes theory as opposed to practice. I (re)imagine Black girl sociality as a site of restoration and healing against the racist, sexist, and ageist world with which Black girls are forced to contend. Accordingly, this project contributes to the diversification of girlhood studies, challenging the disciplinarity of the field by extending ethnographic and sociological perspectives to include the vantage point of performance and creative practice.


By means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of proteins from radiation-resistant Gamr mutants of Escherichia coli, it was shown that induction and elimination of RecA protein in these mutants are kinetically more rapid than in wild type cells, and heat-shock proteins (HSP) are hyperproduced even at a normal temperature (32 degrees C). gamma-and UV-irradiated bacteriophages were used to study the results of simultaneous enhanced expression of two stress repair systems. Radiation-resistant mutants are similar to wild type cells in their ability to reactivate phages lambda CI, phi 80 vir, and T 4D inactivated by gamma-rays and UV-light. W-reactivation of gamma-irradiated phages lambda and 80 vir is respectively 1.5 and 1.2 times higher in Gamr cells in which maximal w-reactivation was observed at wide range of doses (from 300 to 2000 Gy) whereas in wild type cells the peak of W-reactivation was registered at doses of 400 to 450 Gy. The phage lambda gamma-, irradiated upon adsorption on the cells of a radiation-resistant mutant, was two times more resistant to gamma-rays (DMF = 2 at LD10) than when irradiated upon adsorption on wild type cells. Postirradiation degradation of the phage lambda DNA, when irradiated within Gamr cells, was significantly lower than in wild type cells, and preirradiation of the cells decreased phage DNA degradation (12% in Gamr cells and 30% in wild-type cells). The role of an increased HSP level and expression of SOS-regulon in radiation resistance and possible interaction of stress systems in bacterial cells are discussed.


Knowledge management (KM) draws on a vital role in highly participatory and diversified working environment of construction projects. Knowledge keeps construction firms competitive and boosts performance high in future work. However, large and chaotic projects require KM achieved with technological support thorough the project life cycle. Building information modelling (BIM) has a wide range of interaction between researchers and practitioners as a new and promising area of technological research and implementation in construction. In the last decade, many researchers worked on the use of BIM in the construction industry. Collaborative interaction is one of the most important promises of BIM. Collaboration between construction professionals can be improved by firmly managed project knowledge. With BIM solutions, it can be easier to externalize, integrate, internalize and socialize knowledge. Operational knowledge and strategic knowledge can be managed through interactive BIM models. This study aims suggesting a conceptual model representing KM process through BIM. A comprehensive literature review on KM and BIM was established to construct the theoretical framework for the assignment of a conceptual model for BIM usage in KM process of construction projects. The proposed conceptual model is a road map for adapting KM process with BIM as a new KM tool. The ability of BIM to manage knowledge is determined. KM process is identified for construction projects. Existing process is reviewed and modified for the BIM usage. In future studies, empirical research will be conducted to strengthen the validation of the proposed model.


This study is an evaluation of the business value created by adoption of new integrated systems being implemented by the Kenyan banking sector. The new electronic age has transformed the production and marketing of banking services. Customers nowadays demand new and differentiated financial products and services. The main objective of this study was to examine the degree o f adoption o f ICT technologies in Kenyan banks such as Core banking system. Automated Teller Machine (ATM) networks, payment systems, Mobile banking, Tele-banking, Internet banking and the impact these technologies have on business values creation in the banks. In essence banks must search for new strategies of products development and marketing. With pressure from dynamic and advancement of information and communication technology (ICT), different electronic distribution channels have been adopted to meet the demands of customers. The data was obtained from employees of thirty banks out of a population o f forty six banks that have recently installed new integrated Core banking systems and integrated the new technologies like MPESA Mobile banking, RTGS payment system, ATM banking, Tele-banking and Internet banking in order to enhance the business value creation and be competitive in the face of customer demands and sophistication. The data was collected through questionnaires filled by ICT and business managers of the respective banks on the spread of ICT technologies and its impact. The data was analyzed with the help of SPSS statistical software Version 17.0 it was found that the percentages of impact on local criteria, global criteria and customer services were 81%, 82% and 80% respectively. The findings are that adoption o f ICT has influenced the content and quality of banking operations thus creating value that enhances financial performance for the banks and customer satisfaction. ICT was found to present great potential for business process re-engineering of Kenyan Banks. Investment in information and communication technology formed an important component in the overall strategy of banking operators to ensure effective performance. In conclusion, it is imperative for bank management to intensify investment in IC T products to facilitate speed, convenience, and accurate services, or otherwise lose out to their competitors.


We address the question of efficient implementation of quantum protocols, with short depth circuits and small additional resource. We introduce two new methods in this direction. The first method, inspired by the technique of classical correlated sampling, is to unitarily extend a given quantum state into a quantum state uniform in a subspace. The second method involves two new versions of the convex-split lemma that use exponentially small amount of additional resource in comparison to the previous quantum version. Using these methods, we obtain the following results.
First, we consider the task of quantum decoupling on $n$ qubits. Most previous works achieve decoupling with the aid of a random unitary followed by discarding some qubits. The random unitaries can be replaced by random quantum circuits or unitary $2$ designs of size $O(n\log n)$ and depth $poly(\log n)$. We show that given any choice of basis such as the computational basis, decoupling can be achieved by a unitary that takes basis vectors to basis vectors. Thus, the circuit acts in a `classical' manner. Our unitary performs addition and multiplication modulo a prime and hence achieves $O(n\log n)$ circuit size and logarithmic depth.
Next, we construct a new one-shot entanglement-assisted protocol for quantum channel coding that achieves near-optimal communication through a given channel. The number of qubits of entanglement used in this protocol is proportional to the number of qubits input to the channel. Previous one-shot works were either near-optimal in communication but required exponentially more entanglement, or required small amount of entanglement but did not achieve near-optimal communication. We also achieve similar exponential improvement in the entanglement required for one-shot quantum state redistribution, while keeping the communication similar to the best known achievable communication.


OBJECTIVES
Snoring is associated with subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction, probably owing to vibration trauma to the pharyngeal tissues caused by snoring. Negative intrathoracic pressure during apnoea causes stretching of the velum and pharynx. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with severe sleep apnoea have an increased frequency of videoradiographically diagnosed subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction compared with snoring patients with or without mild sleep apnoea as well as with non-snoring controls.

METHODS
Eighty consecutive patients referred for sleep apnoea recordings because of snoring were examined. Fourteen of these patients were excluded because they suffered from dysphagia. Fifteen non-snoring, non-dysphagic volunteers served as controls. Videoradiography was performed to examine the oral and pharyngeal swallowing function in patients and controls. Overnight sleep apnoea recordings were used to evaluate the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI).

RESULTS
Pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction was observed in 34/66 (52%) of the snoring patients and in 1/15 (7%) of the non-snoring controls. Pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction was observed in 50% of patients with an AHI of >or=30, in 61% of patients with an AHI of 5-29 and in 43% of patients with an AHI of <5. There was no significant difference in the frequency of pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction between snoring patients with different AHIs.

CONCLUSION
Snoring patients run an increased risk of developing subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction independent of concomitant sleep apnoea.


Introduction: Only vindication of a nasal continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP) retitration procedure will be an actual change in the optimal
CPAP pressure after that test. The purpose of this study was to identify any
items in patient characteristics, clinical features, baseline PSG and initial
CPAP titration as predictors of change in optimal pressure on CPAP retitration.
Methods: 46 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were
divided in two groups: Group I (optimal pressure was changed on CPAP retitration):
N = 30, M 22 and F 8, age 31-72, BMI 26-50 Kg/m2,
neck size 15 – 20", tonsillectomy in 8, narrow oropharynx in 15,
uvuvlopalatopharyngoplasty (UP3) in 2, abnormal chin in 3, deviated nasal
septum (DNS) and prior nose surgery in 1 each, initial CPAP pressure 6-19 cm, sleep
efficiency 65%-98%, REM latency 0-304 minutes and residual apnea hypopnea index
(AHI) 0-23/hour. Group II (optimal pressure unchanged
after CPAP retitration):
N = 16, M 11 and 5 F, age 32-69, BMI 23-62 Kg/m2,
neck size 14.5-20", tonsillectomy in 6, narrow oropharynx in 5,
abnormal chin in 4, corrective nasal
surgery in 2, DNS in 1, initial CPAP pressure 8-13 cm of H2O, sleep efficiency 69%-95%, REM latency
0-270 minutes and residual AHI 0-19/hour. The
statistical analyses were performed using two-tailed Fisher's t test and
unpaired t test. A p value of tency, residual AHI and initial CPAP pressure) did
not differ significantly between the 2 groups (p = 0.09-0.99). Conclusion:
Patient characteristics, clinical features or variables on baseline PSG and
initial CPAP titration do not predict a change in optimal pressure on CPAP retitration.
The results suggest that 1) Significant
weight change; 2) Patient's subjective feeling of pressure being
too high or insufficient; 3) Residual or recurrent daytime sleepiness
uncorrected by interface readjustments; 4) Post-op


This study examines the information implied in options with short and long maturities. In the analysis using the forward moments, we find that long‐term option investors, on average, seem to underestimate the third moment relative to short‐term option investors, and this becomes severe when the market variance is large. We find that the third moment underestimation of long‐term option investors is economically meaningful using Corrado and Su's model and a trading strategy exploiting the relative underestimated skewness in long‐term options. The abnormal return of the strategy is around 7% per year after controlling systematic risks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 36:722–744, 2016


Recent functional analyses of the trust tend to emphasize its effect on the parties to the trust deal and give less attention to the nature of the beneficiary's interest, especially in relation to persons outside the trust transaction. In contrast, this article takes a critical approach to the trust from the primary perspective of the benefits it provides to beneficiaries. From this perspective, it finds that while the trust maintains the flexibility of a contract it also restricts legal interests of third parties who are strangers to the trust bargain; a feat that contracts are unable to accomplish. Third parties are affected because the trust externalizes certain costs of property ownership. Trust beneficiaries gain from these externalizations because the benefits of externalization currently exceed their costs. These consequences emerge because of the fiction of the trust form, which is that it splits title into "legal" and "equitable" parts. In some cases courts acknowledge that evasion of ownership burdens by trust beneficiaries should be trumped by policy arguments in favor of third-party claimants to trust property; in others such arguments are ignored, and a deductive analysis of the title-split prevails without meaningful inquiry. Historically, trusts were used by the relative few and problems caused by the title-split fiction were sporadic. With trusts becoming more widely-used, a more measured approach to the analysis of a beneficiary's interest is warranted.


Conceptual approaches to improving the system of monitoring and managing the functional capabilities of intelligent technical complexes of buildings and transport and technological machines of mining enterprises are defined. Criteria are proposed for the efficiency of functioning of automatic systems for controlling the movement of transport-technological machines, taking into account the probabilistic nature of system-forming factors. The scheme of scientific and methodological research on the improvement of automation systems and traffic control in the automotive transport is presented. The perspective directions of the formation of control functions for the movement of vehicles based on the use of intelligent automated systems are substantiated. The stages of the life cycle of technical systems for monitoring the movement of vehicles, taking into account the features of their operation. A technique has been developed for the optimal use of technical means of control in the field of providing control and supervisory functions in the operation of vehicles, and the dependence of determining the financial costs of maintaining their efficiency has been determined.


Bribe chains arise when a hierarchy of corruptible auditors audits taxpayers. We investigate fine and reward structures for breaking bribe chains and establishing income-revealing equilibria. We show that no super-auditing is necessary in one-off audits if auditors' rewards are related to the amount of tax evasion detected by them. However, such equilibria do not survive repeated encounters, even with super-audits. We then show that if rewards are based on a tax collection, income-revealing equilibria can be sustained over repeated encounters. In such structures, the number of levels in the hierarchy is immaterial for income revelation as such, but it determines the net revenue of the government.


Pharmaceutical practical instrument analysis is a professional required course set up based on characteristics and needs of pharmacy in our college. The contents of pharmaceutical practical instrument analysis course are various and complicated, involving a wide range of knowledge, so that it is difficult for the students to learn it. In this study, a network teaching platform of pharmaceutical practical instrument analysis was established to promote the exchange of teachers and students, improve the students' interest in learning, and expand their knowledge. The results indicate that the teaching platform has become a better teaching aid in the teaching of pharmaceutical practical instrument analysis. It is necessary to constantly sum up the experience, innovative the teaching method, and gradually explore new ways of knowledge construction suitable for students in colleges and universities.


The rapid development of immunosuppressants (IS) has already improved the prognosis of recipients post solid organ transplantation (SOT) in the past decades. However, the individual difference in IS metabolism may lead to either rejection or drug toxicity, thus suggesting the importance of personalized therapy. Gene polymorphisms (GP) regarding metabolic enzymes and medication transporters of the IS consist the footstone for personalized therapy, which are the hotspots in recent years. However, although a great of efforts have been put into researching the association between GP and pharmacokinet - ics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD), controversial results still remained. The only consensus that has been reached is the use of GP-based IS therapy could help the recipients to reach target concentration faster with less dose adjustment. Whether the GP-based IS therapy could improve the clinical long-term outcome needs further confirmation. In our chapter, we would summarize the information associated with GP of IS, and discuss the potential impact of GP on clinical practice to provide new insights into guiding tailored therapy of IS in SOT.


Adherent peritoneal cells (90 to 95% macrophages) from mice injected with Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG, or certain noninfectious agents such as pyran copolymer or phytohemagglutinin showed increased chemotactic and tumoricidal capacity in vitro. These activated macrophages elaborated 2 to 5 times more lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF) in vitro than equal numbers of adherent cells from untreated mice. In contrast, adherent PC from mice treated with thioglycollate or mineral oil were not cytotoxic and did not produce more LAF than PC from untreated mice. Adherent PC from untreated nude mice, which have increased chemotactic and tumoricidal capacity in vitro, also exhibited enhanced LAF production compared to adherent PC from their normal littermates. Increased production of LAF was also evident with adherent PC and the macrophage-like tumor cell line P388D1 after incubation in vitro with bacterial endotoxins or with antigen-induced lymphokines. These data indicate that adherent PC can be activated either in vivo or in vitro to elaborate more LAF. Thus, activated macrophages are more effective than normal macrophages in amplification of the afferent limb of immune responses as well as in their effector functions.


Many countries are running short of agricultural land. Even where land appears to be available, soil fertility, water availability as well as nutrient mining still remains a challenge yet at the same time the world's demand for food is rapidly increasing. Millions of square meters of soil are mined each year for use in vegetable nurseries and in backyard gardens in addition to excessive use of inorganic fertilizers. There are however a number of soilless growth media and organic sources of plant nutrients that could be used to address this problem. This study investigated the effects of application of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) and plant tea (Tithonia diversifolia) manure on selected soilless growing media on growth rate of Amaranthus cruentus L. This was to determine their suitability as an alternative growing media. A split plot design was used and the experiments carried out for two seasons. The soilless growing media investigated were: charcoal dust, saw dust, dry coffee husks, and mixture of charcoal and saw dust (1:1), saw dust and coffee husks (1:1), charcoal dust and coffee husks (4:1) and a compound mixture of charcoal dust, sawdust and coffee husks (2:2:1). The growing media were randomized in the three split blocks with eight pots each.  Growth rates in terms of shoot height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, stem girth and root length were measured for two seasons. Results indicated that all the growth media could support amaranth growth. However, a mixture of charcoal dust and dry coffee husk (4:1 respectively) with application of plant tea manure significantly affected the growth rate of A. cruentus (p<0.05). Mixture of charcoal dust and dry coffee husk (4:1 respectively) with application of either NPK or plant tea manure could be used as the best alternative growth media. Soilless growth media that constituted of charcoal dust and coffee husks could be explored for amaranth production in home kitchen gardens in rural areas and backyard gardens in urban areas.

 Key words: Soil, soilless growing media, plant nutrients, amaranth.


Intelligence has been of interest to psychologists for decades. There are many comprehensive measures of intelligence. However, the lengthy administration times of such tests often preclude their usefulness in many circumstances. There have been several attempts to develop brief measures of intelligence. One of the most recently developed measures is the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1990). This test has proven to be a valid and effective screening measure for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) (Wechsler, 1974), when used with juvenile delinquents and students referred for academic difficulties. There have been no studies to date that examine the relationship between the KBIT and the WISC-III, the most recent revision of the Wechsler scales. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the K-BIT and the WISC-III when used with adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Data obtained from psychological evaluation records of adolescents admitted to Osawatomie State Hospital were analyzed. Comparisons were made between scores obtained by these adolescents on the K-BIT and on the WISC-III. These comparisons were carried out to determine if the K-BIT could be used, with adolescent psychiatric inpatients, to provide preliminary information regarding intellectual ability until the WISC-III could be administered. Pearson product-moment correlations showed strong significant relationships between the K-BIT and WISC-III the scores of the verbal, nonverbal and overall measures, suggesting that these two instruments measure similar constructs. However, three paired t-tests resulted in mean verbal, nonverbal, and overall scores on the K-BIT that were significantly higher than mean verbal, nonverbal, and overall scores on the WISCIII. This demonstrates that the K-BIT overestimates intellectual ability when the WISC-III is the follow-up or comprehensive measure of intelligence. Two single-sample t-tests showed that the adolescent psychiatric inpatients obtained mean overall scores that were significantly lower than the normal control subjects used in the standardization samples of these two instruments. The implications of these results, with respect to treatment, are discussed.


The purpose of this paper is to present a three dimensional model of innovation process applicable for analysis of global dynamics of innovation in social networking. It refers to known models of technological innovation based on two dimensions: (1) Performance evolution in time, usually exponential in nature, e.g. Moore's law for microelectronic chips and (2) Innovation diffusion with rate expressed by number of adopters vs. time e.g. due to imitation of early adopters or due to public access to innovation sources. On basis of literature review and available empirical data, a new third dimension called (3) Interactivity level is proposed and defined in this paper. It is specific to innovations in social networking. The interactivity level reflects amount of active knowledge and effective use of social media/technologies. This dimension has not been systematically studied yet. However some recent surveys of social media users demonstrate a need and suggest feasibility of assessment of this dimension. By introducing a scale of interactivity level, expressed by mode and intensity of interactive contacts among users of different social media, it is possible to improve evaluation of dynamics of innovation in social networking. Comparative study of average interactivity levels of users in different countries is proposed as an indicator of evolution of social media in the global business environment. Theoretical basis for such measurement is derived from communication studies on interactivity viewed as a sociological phenomenon.


Distance‐based and generalization‐based methods are two families of artificial intelligence techniques that have been successfully used over a wide range of real‐world problems. In the first case, general algorithms can be applied to any data representation by just changing the distance. The metric space sets the search and learning space, which is generally instance‐oriented. In the second case, models can be obtained for a given pattern language, which can be comprehensible. The generality‐ordered space sets the search and learning space, which is generally model‐oriented. However, the concepts of distance and generalization clash in many different ways, especially when knowledge representation is complex (e.g., structured data). This work establishes a framework where these two fields can be integrated in a consistent way. We introduce the concept of distance‐based generalization, which connects all the generalized examples in such a way that all of them are reachable inside the generalization by using straight paths in the metric space. This makes the metric space and the generality‐ordered space coherent (or even dual). Additionally, we also introduce a definition of minimal distance‐based generalization that can be seen as the first formulation of the Minimum Description Length (MDL)/Minimum Message Length (MML) principle in terms of a distance function. We instantiate and develop the framework for the most common data representations and distances, where we show that consistent instances can be found for numerical data, nominal data, sets, lists, tuples, graphs, first‐order atoms, and clauses. As a result, general learning methods that integrate the best from distance‐based and generalization‐based methods can be defined and adapted to any specific problem by appropriately choosing the distance, the pattern language and the generalization operator.


A sensitive, accurate, precise and stability indicating high-performance thin layer chromatographic method was developed and validated for analysis of triamcinalone acetonide (TRIA) in bulk drug and sterile injectable suspension. The method employed HPTLC aluminum precoated plates with silica gel 60F-254 as the stationary phase. The solvent system consisted of Toluene: ethyl acetate: ammonia solution (33:67:0.1 %v/v). This system was found to give compact bands for TRIA (R f value 0.38 ± 0.02). TRIA was subjected to acid, alkali and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, sun light and dry heat treatment. The degraded products were well separated from the pure drug with notably different R f values. CAMAG semi-automatic HPTLC used for the analysis. Densitometric analysis of TRIA was carried out in the absorbance mode at 240 nm. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with correlation coefficient 0.9996 ±/ 0.001 in the concentration range of 100.0-2000.0 ng spot -1 . The values of slope and intercept were 9.7841 and -86.13 respectively. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, robustness, and recovery. The limits of detection and quantitation were 33.0 and 100.0 ng spot -1 respectively. As the method could effectively separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be employed as a routine stability indicating assay method. Key words: Triamcinalone Acetonide (TRIA), HPTLC, Stability indicating assay method, Degradation, ICH, Validation.


Chicken liver fatty acid synthase is inhibited by the thiol-modifying reagents 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and iodoacetamide. Total inactivation of the activity for fatty acid synthesis requires the modification of about 8 of the nearly 50 freely accessible thiol groups per molecule. The differential binding of iodo[14C]acetamide to phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride-modified enzyme in the absence and in the presence of excess acetyl-CoA shows complete modification of one cysteine-SH site of the condensing enzyme and partial modification of the pantetheine-SH site for a total of approx. 1.4 mol of iodoacetamide bound per mol of enzyme. The reaction of the enzyme with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) generates disulphide cross-links for each molecule of the reagent added, but 95% of these cross-links are intrasubunit. Both the iodoacetamide- and 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)-modified species catalyse all the component partial reactions of fatty acid synthesis except the condensation reaction. The results obtained with iodoacetamide show that in the dimeric fatty acid synthase modification of one cysteine-SH condensing site and/or one pantetheine-SH site per dimer is sufficient to affect inhibition of condensing activity and the activity for fatty acid synthesis, and are in accord with a recently proposed model for the mechanism of action of animal fatty acid synthases [Kumar (1982) J. Theor. Biol. 95, 263-283].


BACKGROUND
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury increases risks for osteoarthritis (OA), a poorly modifiable and disabling condition. Joint changes of potentially reversible pre-OA have been described just 2 years after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) when early bone shape changes have also been reported.

PURPOSE
This study evaluates relationships between interlimb differences in tibiofemoral bone shape derived from statistical shape modeling (SSM) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and participant factors on patient-reported outcomes 2 years after unilateral ACLR.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS
SSM-derived tibiofemoral bone shape and subchondral bone area were assessed from bilateral knee MRI scans of 72 participants with unilateral ACLR (mean age, 34 ± 11 years; 32 women) and compared with a reference cohort of 398 older individuals without OA (mean age, 50 ± 3 years; 213 women). Multivariable logistic regression models examined relationships between participant and surgical factors with interlimb differences in bone shapes or subchondral bone areas. Relationships between patient-reported outcomes and the interlimb differences in bone shape and subchondral area were examined using similar models.

RESULTS
Bone shape scores and subchondral bone areas were greater (more OA-like) in ACLR knees than uninjured contralateral knees in every bone metric tested (P≤ .001). Interlimb differences in femur shape scores of participants with ACLR were 65% greater (P < .001) than those of the significantly older reference cohort. Taller height, medial meniscal tears, and decreasing age were associated with larger interlimb differences in shape scores and subchondral areas (P < .05). Bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft recipients demonstrated greater interlimb subchondral area differences compared with allograft recipients (P < .05). Interlimb differences for hamstring autograft recipients did not differ from those with BPTB or allograft. Greater interlimb differences in medial femur subchondral areas were associated with worse patient-reported Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Symptoms (R = 0.27; P = .040).

CONCLUSION
Even in the absence of radiographic OA, just 2 years after unilateral ACLR patients showed greater bone shape scores and subchondral areas consistent with pre-OA in their ACLR knees. Furthermore, greater medial femur bone areas were weakly associated with worse symptoms. Patients who are younger, are taller, have meniscal tears, or have BPTB grafts may be at increased risk for bony asymmetries 2 years after ACLR.


A facile self-sponsored doping approach is developed to synthesize S and N co-doped trimodal-porous structured graphitic carbon network electrocatalysts. It utilizes a sole precursor (1-allyl-2-thiourea) to realize a precisely controlled co-doping of S and N during a concurrent graphitic carbon growth process by simple control of the pyrolysis temperature. The results reveal that the doping effect is heavily dependent on the doping density and a maximal catalytic activity could only be achieved with an optimal doping level. The presence of a macro-pore structure in the trimodal-porous network enhances the mass transport, enabling the full utilization of large surface areas created by micro- and meso-pores. The resultant electrocatalyst possesses high ORR catalytic activity with excellent durability and high resistance to the inhibition effect of fuel molecules. The findings of this work would be valuable for design and fabrication of high performance carbon-based electrocatalysts.


In this study, we investigate whether transactional analysis (TA) training could improve social adjustment in a case study of women with spouses with drug addiction. This experimental study was performed on 40 people who were addicted to drugs and were under medication in some clinical centers in city of Esfahan, Iran. The patients were randomly divided into two groups (control and an experimental group). The experimental group was trained under transactional training for 8 one-hour sessions. Cronbach alpha was calculated as 0.89, which is well above the minimum acceptable. The results of the survey show that the means of two groups before test are close to each other. However, after TA has been accomplished, there is meaningful difference between these two groups. The result of F-value statistical test is also meaningful when the level of significance is five percent. In other word, there are some evidences to believe that transactional analysis training impacts on our surveyed people, positively.


A combination of two high directivity, electrically small, slot-modified conducting disc-augmented Egyptian axe dipole (EAD) antennas is investigated to achieve interesting broadside radiation properties, including a high broadside directivity and front-to-back ratio. Their array arrangement is guided by a simple two-element dipole model. The parasitic conducting disc associated with each EAD antenna is modified only slightly from their original single-element dimensions to preserve nearly complete matching to their sources, to accommodate the coupling between the two elements and to maximise the array pattern characteristics. Parameter studies lead to a final design, whose simulation results demonstrate that the two-element array has outstanding performance characteristics, including a 9.98 dB broadside directivity, an 88.19% radiation efficiency, a 20.03 dB front-to-back-ratio, a - 22.42 dB mutual coupling level, more than a 30 dB level of polarisation purity, and good impedance matching to their respective 50 Ω sources, despite each antenna being electrically small, that is,
 ka
<; 1, and the distance between the centre of each element being only slightly larger than a half wavelength.


Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) originated in West Africa but has become widely distributed throughout the semi-arid zone of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Sharing a high nutritive value with other widely consumed legumes, bambara has an appealing flavour which is reflected in demand from small local and niche markets. Despite its high and balanced protein content, bambara remains under-utilised because it takes a long time to cook, contains anti-nutritional factors and does not dehull easily. Bambara yields well under conditions which are too arid for groundnut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays L.) and even sorghum (Sorghum bicolar). Its drought tolerance makes bambara a useful legume to include in climate change adaptation strategies. Existing bambara products are not well promoted in the local or international markets and new products are needed that highlight its inherent nutritional and culinary advantages. A number of projects on bambara, involving several countries in SSA since the 1980s, have failed to stimulate a sustainable increase in the production of the crop. The absence of functioning value chains has been a factor in this failure, as accessible market outlets might provide the required incentive for smallholder households to obtain improved seed and invest more of their land and labour in the crop. There is little documented evidence of trade in bambara but circumstantial evidence indicates considerable international demand. More attention should be given, therefore, to market research and development, with crop improvement programmes being more market-led, if bambara is to make a greater contribution to household income and rural development in SSA.


We develop a new method for regularising neural networks. We learn a probability distribution over the activations of all layers of the model and then insert imputed values into the network during training. We obtain a posterior for an arbitrary subset of activations conditioned on the remainder. This is a generalisation of data augmentation to the hidden layers of a network, and a form of data-aware dropout. We demonstrate that our training method leads to higher test accuracy and lower test-set cross-entropy for neural networks trained on CIFAR-10 and SVHN compared to standard regularisation baselines: our approach leads to networks with better calibrated uncertainty over the class posteriors all the while delivering greater test-set accuracy.


DNA methylation is responsible for regulating gene expression and cellular differentiation and for maintaining genomic stability during normal human development. Furthermore, it plays a significant role in the regulation of hematopoiesis. In order to elucidate the influence of DNA methylation during B-cell development, genome-wide DNA methylation status of pro-B, pre-BI, pre-BII, and naïve-B-cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood was determined using the methylated CpG island recovery assay followed by next generation sequencing. On average, 182–200 million sequences were generated for each precursor B-cell subset in 10 biological replicates. An overall decrease in methylation was observed during the transition from pro-B to pre-BI, whereas no differential methylation was observed in the pre-BI to pre-BII transition or in the pre-BII to naïve B-cell transition. Most of the methylated regions were located within intergenic and intronic regions not present in a CpG island context. Putative novel enhancers were identified in these regions that were differentially methylated between pro-B and pre-BI cells. The genome-wide methylation profiles are publically available and may be used to gain a better understanding of the involvement of atypical DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of malignancies associated with precursor B-cells.


The polypeptides present in 35S-labelled chromatin prepared from Escherichia coli cells, and polypeptides present in the DNA and RNA complexes obtained by micrococcal nuclease digestion of the chromatin, were analysed by two-dimensional non-equilibrium polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three hundred and thirty-five 35S-labelled polypeptides were detected in the chromatin whereas the DNA- and RNA-containing fractions of the micrococcal nuclease digest contained 126 and 183 polypeptides respectively. The major basic low-molecular-weight polypeptides were found in the DNA-containing fractions.